Perimeter Bounce Wedge

ABSTRACT

A golf club includes a club head 12 mounted on a shaft 14 of a golf club 10 at a hosel 16 of the club head 12, the club head 12 having a face 18 including a plurality of grooves 20 formed on a surface thereof and extending substantially across a width of the face 18, a back 22 and a sole 24 extending between a lower edge 27 of the back 22 and a leading edge 28 of the face 18, the sole 24 defining a heal portion 36, a toe portion 38, and a center portion 26, wherein the sole 24 of the golf club 10 at the center portion 26 behind the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 is such that the center portion 26 extends substantially above the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 at an angle relative to a generally horizontal surface H at address when the heel portion 36 and toe portion 38 contact therewith and the hosel 16 being relatively normal to the surface.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure relates to the field of golf. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a golf club having a sole with improved bounce characteristics.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Golf clubs, and particularly wedges, typically have a sole located on a bottom of the club for impacting the ground or other surface on which a golf ball rests when the golf ball is struck with the club. An angle of the sole of the golf club relative to a horizontal surface beneath the club is typically referred to as a bounce angle of the club.

The bounce angle of a golf club can vary depending on the type of club, surface on which the club is used, and other various factors or preferences of an individual golfer. For example, a golfer may prefer a wedge with a relatively low bounce angle, such as between about 4 and about 6 degrees below a horizontal plane, for firmer surfaces such as firmer turf or sand. Similarly, a golfer may prefer a club having a higher bounce angle, such as between about 10 and about 15 degrees below a horizontal plane, for softer surfaces such as fluffy grass or softer sand conditions.

While various bounce angles are available, clubs having varying amounts of loft may be difficult to hit, particularly for amateur golfers. For example, a club with a higher bounce angle may be difficult for an amateur golfer to hit consistently, such as when the sole of the club strikes the ground before striking a golf ball. Similarly, a club with a lower bounce angle may be difficult to hit for an amateur golf ball, such as when a leading edge of the golf club digs into the ground prior to impacting the golf ball.

What is needed, therefore, is a golf club having a sole with improved bounce characteristics to provide greater consistency in striking a golf ball with the golf club.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying figures, wherein elements are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a golf club having an improved sole according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a golf club having an improved sole according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a front view of a golf club having an improved sole including cross-sectional reference lines according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional side view at a center of a golf club having an improved sole according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional side view of a toe portion of a golf club having an improved sole according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional side view of a heel portion of a golf club having an improved sole according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various terms used herein are intended to have particular meanings. Some of these terms are defined below for the purpose of clarity. The definitions given below are meant to cover all forms of the words being defined (e.g., singular, plural, present tense, past tense). If the definition of any term below diverges from the commonly understood and/or dictionary definition of such term, the definitions below control.

FIG. 1 shows a basic embodiment of a golf club 10 having a club head 12 mounted on a shaft 14 of the golf club 10 at a hosel 16 of the club head 12. The club head 12 includes a face 18 including a plurality of grooves 20 formed on a surface thereof and extending substantially across a width of the face 18. Referring to FIG. 2, the club head 12 further includes a back 22 and a sole 24 extending between a lower edge 27 of the back 22 and a bottom of the face 18. An angle of regions of the sole 24 as discussed herein relative to a horizontal plane H defines a bounce angle of the sole 24. Embodiment of the golf club 10 described herein preferably include the sole 24 having bounce moved towards a toe and heel of the sole 24 and a center portion 26 of the sole 24 that does not extend below a leading edge 28 of the golf club 10.

The center portion 26 of the sole 24 of the golf club 10 is preferably located on the sole 24 behind a lowest point of the leading edge 28 of the golf club 10 and extends at least partially across a width of the sole 24. A widthwise depth of the center portion 26 is greatest at a center of the center portion 26 behind the leading edge 28 and tapers downwards the sole 24 towards the heel portion 36 and toe portion 38 of the golf club 10 such that the center portion 26 is substantially concave in shape as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, a depth of the center portion 26 formed in the sole 24 of the golf club 10 is such that a lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 extends below the sole 24 at a middle of the center portion 26. Further, the sole 24 at heel portion 36 and toe portion 36 is such that the sole 24 provides a bounce surface with angle that causes the portions of the sole 24 to extend below the leading edge 28, namely at the heel portion 36 and the toe portion 38 of the golf club 10.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional side view of the golf club 10 along line B-B of FIG. 4, which is proximate to a center of the club head 12 and the center portion 26 formed on the sole 24 of the club head 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the sole 24 of the golf club 10 at the center portion 26 behind the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 (FIG. 2) is such that the center portion 26 of the sole 24 extends substantially above the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 when the heel portion 36 and toe portion 38 are in contact with a surface at address wherein the hosel 16 is relatively normal to the surface as depicted in FIGS. 5-7. In a preferable embodiment, the sole 24 of the golf club 10 at the center portion 26 angles upward relative to horizontal line H. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the sole 24 of the golf club 10 at the center portion 26 angles upward at an angle of from about 1 degree to about 5 degrees.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a heel portion 36 and a toe portion 38 of the sole 24 of the golf club are located on opposing sides of the center portion 26. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional side view of the golf club 10 along line A-A of FIG. 4, which is across a toe of the golf club 10. The toe portion 38 along the sole 24 of the golf club 10 is preferably angled to extend below horizontal line H representing a surface at address. A downward angle of the toe portion 38 along the sole 24 of the golf club 10 is preferably at an angle that corresponds to a bounce of the golf club 10. For example, in FIG. 6 the angle of the sole 24 relative to horizontal line H at the toe portion 38 is approximately 14 degrees. The angle of the sole 24 at the toe portion 38 may vary depending on the club. For example, a bounce angle of the sole 24 at the toe portion may be between 1 degree and about 18 degrees. As further shown in FIG. 6, a leading edge 40 of the toe portion 38 is located above the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 as the leading edge of the golf club 10 rises at the toe portion 38.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional side view of the golf club 10 along line C-C of FIG. 4. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 is across a heel of the golf club 10 proximate to the hosel 16 of the golf club 10. The heel portion 36 along the sole 24 of the golf club 10 is also preferably angled below and downward relative to horizontal line H. In a preferable embodiment, a downward angle of the heel portion 36 of the sole 24 is the same as the angle of the toe portion 38 of the sole 24, such as between 1 degree and about 18 degrees. Alternatively, an angle of the heel portion 36 of the sole 24 may vary relative to the bounce angle of the sole 24 at the toe portion 38 of the club 10. A leading edge 42 of the heel portion 36 is also preferably located above the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 as the leading edge of the golf club rises at the heel portion 36 of the golf club 10.

The golf club 10 described herein advantageously improves an interaction of the sole 24 of the golf club 10 with a surface, such as a turf surface, when the golf club 10 is used to strike a golf ball. The shape of the sole 24 of the golf club 10 is such that when the golf club 10 impacts a surface, such as turf on a golf course, the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 provides an initial contact surface while the upwardly angled sole behind the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 remains above the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28. As the leading edge 28 makes contact with the ball through the swing, the sole 24 of the golf club 10 at the heel portion 36 and the toe portion 38 contacts the surface creating a bounce surface of the golf club 10.

A shape of the golf club 10 is such that the leading edge 28 contacts a golf ball substantially prior to bounce occurring with the golf club 10 engaging a turf surface beneath the golf ball. Further, the shape of embodiments of the golf club 10 described herein moves a weight of the golf club 10 towards a perimeter of the golf club 10, such as towards the heel and toe of the golf club 10. A shape of the golf club 10 further enhances center of gravity of the golf club 10. Shapes of embodiments of the golf club 10 described herein thereby increase forgiveness of the golf club 10.

The shape of the golf club 10 described herein improves interaction of the golf club 10 with a surface such as turf during striking of a golf ball with the golf club 10. By including the preferably upwardly sloped surface behind a lowest portion of the leading edge of the club, consistency in striking the golf ball is improved and issues related to bounce of the club are reduced.

The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The described preferred embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the disclosure to the precise form(s) disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the concepts revealed in the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf club, which includes: a club head 12 mounted on a shaft 14 of a golf club 10 at a hosel 16 of the club head 12, the club head 12 having a face 18 including a plurality of grooves 20 formed on a surface thereof and extending substantially across a width of the face 18, a back 22 and a sole 24 extending between a lower edge 27 of the back 22 and a leading edge 28 of the face 18, the sole 24 defining a heal portion 36, a toe portion 38, and a center portion 26, wherein the sole 24 of the golf club 10 at the center portion 26 behind the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 is such that the center portion 26 extends substantially above the lowest point 30 of the leading edge 28 at an angle relative to a generally horizontal surface H at address when the heel portion 36 and toe portion 38 contact therewith and the hosel 16 being relatively normal to the surface.
 2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the toe portion 38 and heel portion 36 are angled below and downward relative to horizontal line H.
 3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the upward angle of the sole 24 at the center portion 26 may be between 1 degree and about 5 degrees.
 4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the downward angle of the sole 24 at the toe portion may be between 1 degree and about 18 degrees. 